


If the Shadows were Real

by miyaameow



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angels, F/M, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 13:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10641201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miyaameow/pseuds/miyaameow
Summary: Yoosung had always been alone, but... was he really?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first work, please leave me a comment! Constructive criticism would be really helpful or you could tell me if you liked it and that'd be awesome too ^-^

The wind howled through the trees, blowing violently against the walls of the building. Along with the cacophonous pitter-patters of the rain against the roof, these sounds pierced harshly through his ear drums. It was storm season, and there was no escaping it; later, there would be thunder and lightning too, taking their turns rumbling loudly across the sky, tearing white streaks through the sea of black clouds. Another night of restlessness, another night in the dark. **  
**

Another night with company in a house where he was supposedly, the only resident.

The darkness that surrounded him was not empty. As night fell, a shadow would appear, it would wander the premises, taking whatever he had to be its own. It swallowed any light that peeked through the curtains—but no matter how dark the night would be, he’d still be able to make out its shape, its form… its body.

It was frightening, he didn’t want to be alone in this house anymore. No, actually, he didn’t want to have company—at least not this type of company. What this shadow was, he didn’t know, nor did he want to know. It was much too terrifying for him to try and find out. All he could do was pull his blanket over his head, hiding from whatever roamed the halls of his home and lingered in his room. It would become hot under his cavern of bed sheets, but as stuffy as it was, he was too afraid to risk lifting the covers for a breath of air. Who knew what would be waiting for him just outside that thin layer of cloth? Who knew what horrendous sight he would witness? Soon or later, this night would pass, and he would be able to rest during the day.

-

There was always something unsettling about the place he lived. It wasn’t just the creaking doors or the loud thunks he heard from the attic every now and then; it was the way things always seemed to fall perfectly into place. It was almost like someone was helping him, taking care of him. But there was no one else with him, so he could only assume that it was by mere coincidence or his own problem for not remembering things like when he took the laundry off the clothesline before it started pouring outside. It was probably just due to short term memory loss that he rushed back into his house to turn off the gas stove only to find it never even on at all, or that he thought that he’d forgotten to email his professor his mid-term report only to discover that it was apparently sent in one minute before the due date. Just what was helping him? _Who_ was helping him? It was a mystery he soon realized that he might not want to understand.

The phenomenon went on without a hitch for some time; but as time passed, he became more sensitive to the presence of whatever resided this home along with him. Sometimes the wind chimes on the patio would sound even when there was no breeze. Sometimes, he’d catch a whiff of a floral scent in the middle of the day while he worked on his thesis essay. Most importantly, he’d see its shadow. At first, it seemed like his eyes were playing tricks on him, like his sleep deprived mind was going berserk; but it gradually became real to him, and he knew that he was no longer alone.

It wasn’t to say that he hated the shadow, but he feared it all the same. One more year and he would be able to move out of this apartment. Another year and he’d be free from the grasp of this ghostly spirit. As kind as this thing was, it was unnatural and disturbing, he wanted nothing more to do with it than he already had. He wanted out of this hell of a home.

-

“Leave me alone, leave me alone, please. I’ll be out of this house in a year, please just leave me be.” He whispered quietly under the covers, as if chanting this over and over would prevent the shadow from coming to get him.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work and something began tugging at his blanket. At first, it felt timid, like a child; but it grew stronger, more aggressive—desperate, almost. His mind went blank, the words _‘it’s coming for you’_ dominating his thoughts. It was mortifying. _What was it? Was he dreaming? Oh God, please, let him be dreaming. Please let this nightmare pass, please wake him up._ But he was already fully conscious, there was nothing that could bring him out of the reality he was facing. There was no doubt that the haunting voice that came from outside the covers, repeatedly taunting him to remove his protective skin, was anything but real.

“Yoosung, let go of the blanket.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting with all his will against whoever—whatever—was out there. He wasn’t going to give into it like this; not tonight, not ever.

“Okay, then I guess I’ll have to pull this off myself.”

His violent trembling did not help him in terms of grasping his blanket, so in one swift motion, the white sheets were pulled away from his crumpled body. They flew lightly in the air, like a feather, softly lowering itself to the ground.

“P- please, don’t- I’ve never done anything, don’t hurt me.” Wet tears began soaking into his pillow as he held his body in his arms as a cold hand touched his arm and a shiver went down his spine. Unable to bear the rawness of the other’s skin against his own, he cried out. It felt so real, so human; it was terrifying yet familiar at the same time. A mix of emotions bubbled inside of him but it hurt attempting to make sense of the situation, so all he did was sob in fear.

“Yoosung, I won’t hurt you. Open your eyes, I’m not as scary as you think.”

With no other choice but to face whatever he had coming, his eyes cracked open, and he gasped at the sight of the thing that knelt shyly next to his bed. This thing was a person… or something along the lines of that anyway. Her brown hair cascaded down the side of her white dress, her soft features a pale white, and her eyes, that twinkled like the stars in the sky, held a sort of affection that made it hard to look away. In a way, she seemed normal, other than the fact that she had the wings of an angel and was strangely, a little translucent; but she glowed so beautifully in the moonlight that it made it hard for him to form words.

“I’m your angel,” she smiled sheepishly, twisting her hair out of nervousness, “though, I never thought you’d grow to realize my existence.”

“Realize? So you were the one who always took care of everything I forgot to do?” he sat up with this remark, suddenly embarrassed for all the mistakes he’s ever made. He felt like an idiot. _Way to go, Yoosung, and in front of a cute girl too._

She nodded sweetly, blushing a little from his concentrated gaze.

“When did you start… um, taking care of me?” He looked away, realizing how invasive his staring must’ve felt.

“Ever since you entered college. When you left to live on your own, your mother prayed to God hoping that he would send some help over so you would live healthy and happily.”

“E- ever since 1st year?” Oh, he might as well have died of embarrassment right then and there. His face turned red enough that it was visible even in his dim lit room.

“Haha, yes, I’ve known you for 3 years already.” she replied innocently, not quite realizing what Yoosung was referring to.

It went on like this for the rest of the night, with Yoosung confirming previous coincidences that were… probably not so much of a coincidence after all and with this angel telling him all about the place she came from, and why she was chosen to care for him. From that moment on, he was no longer afraid of the shadows in his room or the wind chimes sounding despite the lack of a breeze. He was able see her whether it was day or night, outside or inside the house and that in itself was a soothing reminder that he had made a friend over a course of 3 years without even knowing it himself.

He enjoyed the time they spent with each other, and as much as he looked insane talking to seemingly no one on the streets, they went to many places and had fun while doing it. They visited museums, amusement parks, aquariums and more; there was nothing known as awkward silence, in fact, as unbelievable as it was, Yoosung couldn’t shut up. He felt like they could share anything with each other. She didn’t judge him for his decisions and she listened to all he ever had to say. They became really good friends… maybe even closer than that.

At some point, he began to feel heat rush to his face whenever she giggled at his lame jokes. Her cheeks that flushed a light pink whenever he did something a little embarrassing or said something a little too bluntly made his heart quiver. Her eyes would twinkle softly, full of love and kindness; she was an angel, and not only did she look like one, but she had the heart of one too. As selfish as it sounded, he wanted her heart all to himself; he never wanted to go back to the way it was like before, he never wanted her to hide in the shadows out of his sight ever again.

-

Yoosung woke up with a jolt, his heart beating so fast it felt like he’d just ran a marathon. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, stinging his eyes as he tried to calm his breath. His eyes were wide and full of apprehension, like he’d just lost the most precious thing known to man.

“Where are you?” He voice was shaking with panic, his dream, anything but good, still running through his head. The voice of his angel saying goodbye lingering in his mind, twisting his heart painfully.

“Where are you?! Come out and talk to me! I know that you’re still here.” his mangled thoughts took all sanity away from him, he jumbled through the house, tripping over everything as he searched the small apartment over and over again.

“Please! Come out, you can’t leave me… You just can’t.” he sunk to the floor, cradling his head as tears steadily fell down his cheeks; his body, exhausted from the rummage, collapsed onto the floor. The only company he had left were the cool floor tiles beneath him.

-

Ever since Yoosung was little, he’d been lonely. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make friends, more so, it was because he couldn’t. His mind drew a blank when it came to making conversation, there was never enough to say and always too much silence. Slowly, he grew accustomed to the silence, to the voice of his own thoughts circling his mind day and night. He escaped reality through video games, finding comfort in his teammates who bonded through working together with actions, not words.

At fifteen, the one and only friend he ever had passed away; she was a puppy named Sally, only 2 years old before a drunk monster drove blindly into their dog house, selfishly taking her life away from Yoosung. From that point on, he was broken, and he was determined to help any and every animal he ever saw.

But now, nothing meant more to him than his angel, not his game mates or his beloved puppy. Nothing felt more precious than her flushed cheeks, her soft smile and her blue eyes. She was finally someone he could connect with, someone he could share his stories with, someone who’d listen to a days’ rant, someone who accepted him—loved him—for who he was and who he wasn’t. She was perfect in every way, and he loved her more than anything.

-

A soft tap brought him back into reality, his mind jumped at the touch, desperately hoping to see her face so he could pull her into a tight embrace and never let her disappear.

But it wasn’t her.

“Yoosung, what are you doing lying on the floor? My, what a mess your house has become, I should’ve come earlier. We’ll make some kimchi-”

“H- have you seen her?” His voice cracked and his eyes begged his mother to tell him. He was so frantic to find her that he almost told his mom about her existence. It was forbidden, he knew, but he didn’t know what else to do. After his mother left, he laid defeated on his bed. His heart tired from aching, eyes sore from crying. But was it time to give up? Never. He would continue searching for her until he would no longer feel his limbs, until his heart would become numb from the pain—until he would lose himself to the world.

It was only a matter of time before he drifted off into a deep slumber. The voice of his angel whispering in his dream. She was gracefully risen above the clouds, her wings spread wide as she floated in the air. Her beautiful features enhanced by the glowing sun behind her, a golden gate above her, welcoming her in with open arms. But the beautiful mirage felt oddly strained; the supposedly peaceful environment brought stress and anxiety instead. She was anything but happy and when she spoke, her voice was full of sadness, the sparkle in her eye nonexistent.

“I’m sorry, but I need to go back.” tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, “It’s time to erase your memories. I hope you’ll be okay without me.” She came closer, caressing his face with her small hands.

“No! You can’t leave! Stay with me, please, I’ll cause you less trouble, I’ll do anything-”

“I have to go back to Heaven no matter what, Yoosung. Promise me you’ll be okay. Promise me you’ll live your life to it’s fullest even without me.”

“But why?” He asked her even though he knew that she didn’t have an answer. There was a pang of guilt that hit his gut as those words left his mouth. As painful as this was for him, it was for her; and she was the one who’d have to keep the memories between the two of them—she was the one who’d have to suffer for eternity.

“Just promise me.”

There was a divine force that made him promise her all of those things despite his reluctance. He knew better than anyone else that it wasn’t going to happen, but he minute the made his promise, he pledged the removal of her from his life and his memories entirely. As she disappeared into the sky, he forced himself to remember that even after he woke up, there would still be lingering feelings. There was no way that he could erase her from him; what she left in him was permanent. 

No matter what happened, he would find comfort in the wind chimes that now stood still without a breeze, in the floral scents that no longer came with his thesis essay unless a pot of flowers sat at the edge of his desk…

And definitely in the shadows of his room that were once, real.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](https://miyaameow.tumblr.com/) where I post HCs and scenarios!


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